I don't want to have to make a minimum of 8 motions (unlock swipe, enter passcode, find and open app, press button, not counting the movement to pull the damned thing out of my pocket) to adjust the volume when I can just pick up a remote and press one button.

So there.

Nyah.

Agreed BUT I think phones/tablets make for great supplemental remote control devices.

I'm researching building a total home control package that'll offer a webpage interface. But it's not something off-the-shelf, I'm making sure all the all the pieces of my entertainment/lighting/security/environmental systems offer documented Ethernet (or at least serial) interfaces. I'll be tying everything together with my own code (a lot of the code exists as Open Source, but it needs adapted to specific devices) running on an embeded Linux server.

That way I'll be able to control everything from any device that has a web browser, and is able to connect to the home network via WiFi, Ethernet, or VPN.